Crayon Physics Deluxe Sketches Out a Winning Experience On Android

A puzzle game does not have to to be rigid or predictable. That’s the takeaway from Crayon Physics Deluxe, which launched on Android recently. Each level in this game has the same singular goal: get the red ball over to the star. That may sound easy, but it only starts out that way.

There are no buttons or toggles to worry about in Crayon Physics — just intuitive touch interactions. You simply draw in shapes and they become a part of this engaging little 2D world. If the ball needs to traverse a canyon to reach the star, no problem. You can draw a bridge. Need to launch the ball into the air to reach a higher platform? Build a ramp. If you don’t like what you draw, double-tap it and try again. You can also zoom in and pan with two-finger gestures for more detailed drawing.

The early stages are deceptively simple, but the game slowly gets more difficult as new gameplay mechanics are added. Balance and gravity eventually play a big role. Most levels have hing points where you can draw in objects that can act as levers and wheels. Even pinball-style flipper paddles if you want. The open-ended gameplay encourages you to think through a problem and experiment with the laws of this little virtual world. Everything you do just needs to be aimed at getting that star.

The game is split up into islands, each one with a few levels which must be passed to advance. Completing a stage gets you a star, which are required to unlock more islands.

Crayon Physics has a stripped-down, but very interesting look. It’s true to its name, replicating to look of thick, creased paper with crayon doodles all over it. Each time you start drawing a new object, the game randomly assigns a different color, which does help to make things more visually interesting.

The quality of the touch interaction is good, so you can draw nearly anything that comes to mind. That’s not to say it’ll look perfect. Straight lines are tough to draw, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s okay if your work looks like the scribblings of a 5 year-old — that’s how Crayon Physics Deluxe is supposed to look.

This unique title is $1.99 in Google Play, and it’s worth checking out.

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service